Shoes, in particular sports shoes, usually comprise a shoe sole and an upper.
The sole serves the protection of the foot from injuries, which might, for example, be caused by treading on pointed or sharp objects. The sole may further reduce the impact forces acting on the musculoskeletal system of the wearer during impact and hence contribute to the prevention of injuries. An abrasion resistant shoe sole may further increase the life span of a shoe.
In contrast, the upper serves, on the one hand, to secure the foot on the sole of the shoe, such that the sole can perform its above-mentioned tasks. On the other hand, an upper can also provide the foot with additional stability, for example, with respect to twisting ones ankle when treading on uneven terrain, and it may further protect the foot from external influences like water, dirt, heat, UV radiation, and so forth. The upper may be provided such that wearing the shoe is pleasant and comfortable for the wearer, also and in particular when wearing the shoe for longer periods of time. In addition, it is desirable to avoid pressure points and to provide good ventilation, in particular for the case of sports shoes.
To achieve this end, different uppers are known from the prior art. For example, US 2014/0033573 A1 describes a shoe with an inner and outer shell, which may, for example, be manufactured in an injection molding process from ethylene-vinyl-acetate (“EVA”). Further, U.S. Pat. No. 8,215,036 B2 describes a shoe with a sole arrangement and an upper attached thereto. On the upper, a heel cap is located with a heel insert, which is releasably connected to the heel cap.
However, the shoes known from the prior art may, for example, potentially involve a very high manufacturing effort and may comprise a multitude of separate individual parts, they may be rather heavy, and they may only provide for an insufficient ventilation of the foot.
It is therefore an objective underlying the present invention to provide shoes and, in particular, sports shoes, that are light-weight, sufficiently ventilated and easily manufactured while at the same time providing a high degree of stability to the foot of a wearer. At the same time, such shoes may avoid pressure points and provide a good fit and so forth when worn.